Manchester United and Chelsea stars head a Twitter XI based on the number of followers for each player.
Social networking site Twitter has been a revelation in the footballing world – becoming the easiest and quickest way for stars to interact with their fans.
Whilst it is an excellent tool for players to show their emotion and receive the gratitude of the paying customers, it isn’t entirely bullet-proof as a number of players have found out that a simple mistake or slip of the tongue can have a detrimental effect.
As a result of public demand, Bwin have reportedly racked up the numbers to find out who the most popular Twitter stars are – based on followers – in each position to form a ‘most followed Twitter XI’.
Sambafoot list the starting XI, compiled by betting firm BWIN which includes three Premier League stars, though one may come as a surprise.
LB – Ashley Cole – Chelsea:
The England international defender is one of the Premier League’s most renowned stars of the past decade.
The 33-year-old has won a host of trophies throughout his career, including the important trio of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.
His success on the field at Chelsea has been matched with a number of high-profile incidents off the pitch which has seen his stock rise to the top. He has 1.47m followers on Twitter, and this is allegedly the most for any left-back in today’s game.
RM – Nani – Manchester United:
Surprisingly, Manchester United’s Portuguese winger Nani gets the nod on the right side of midfield.
The 27-year-old winger has been disappointing so far this campaign, making just five Premier League starts under David Moyes – failing to register a single goal or assist.
Speculation is rife that the former Sporting Lisbon star is set to leave Old Trafford this summer, though despite a disappointing campaign, one cannot forget his overall contribution in a Red Devils shirt.
According to the numbers, Nani has 3.08m followers on Twitter, making him the most followed right midfielder in the world.
ST – Wayne Rooney – Manchester United:
Unlike his teammate Nani, Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney making the list is not a surprise.
The England international has been a national icon since shooting to fame as a 16-year-old, and he has since been looked upon as the Golden Boy of English football this side of the millennium.
Despite Man United’s poor season, Rooney has still managed to keep his top standards by contributing to 15 goals and ten assists in 25 Premier League starts.
David Moyes’ men regard him as their number one star, and his reported £300,000-a-week contract proves he’s a popular figure.
He tops the Premier League’s most followed on Twitter by some margin too – receiving a whopping 8.4m followers and rightfully taking his place as a striker in Twitter’s most followed XI.
Here is the full most followed XI on Twitter:
GK – Victor Valdes – Barcelona
RB – Sergio Ramos – Real Madrid
CB – Gerard Pique – Barcelona
CB – Carles Puyol – Barcelona
LB – Ashley Cole – Chelsea
RM – Nani – Manchester United
CM – Andres Iniesta – Barcelona
CM – Kaka – AC Milan
LM – Cristiano Ronaldo – Real Madrid
ST – Wayne Rooney – Manchester United
ST – Neymar – Barcelona
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